Because of its witty style and unconventional characters, Brown's fiction is usually entertaining and often hilarious.

Behind the humor, though, readers will find a myriad of social concerns that deal with how people and society work together or in conflict. These social considerations may form the basis for interesting and penetrating group discussion.

Venus Envy certainly makes no pretence of hiding some of the more unattractive aspects of the social condition, and although the main character's homosexuality is the catalyst for the majority of events and dialogue in this text, the novel could also be discussed in the context of a more generalized search for truth and integrity. Given Brown's portrayal of the Armstrong family, and the apparent lack of support for the continuation of the nuclear family unit, another possible line of discussion would be the way that family is currently defined in American culture...